Both brothers stared at me long and hard and I stared right back, neither one of us backing down. Max spoke first. “If you really care about our sister, and it’s what you really want, then we are happy for you. I just don’t want you to hurt her.”
My voice came out as a warning to Marco and Max. “Your sister is mine. I won’t let anyone hurt what is mine.”
“So, you’re saying you love her?” Marco questioned. “Have you told her? You haven’t told her yet, have you?”
“What’s with the twenty fucking questions, dickhead?” I said through gritted teeth. Fuck, Marco pissed me off. Why would I tell him I love his sister when I haven’t even told her myself? Hell, I was still getting used to that realisation myself. I was supposed to love her the way a guy loved his little sister, to watch over her, to make sure she was safe and happy. I was meant to be oblivious to the way she had filled out over the years. Mia was meant to find a nice, easy-going guy, not an arsehole like me. I should have just left her alone and never taken her up on her offer to teach her about sex. Why couldn’t she have left me alone? Why couldn’t she have let me love her from a distance forever and keep her safe from me and my baggage?
Winter snapped me out of my trance as she scooted past me and pecked me on the cheek before going to see what all the commotion was about with the girls and why they were all in hysterics. Marco and Max had retreated back to the pool table, which left me standing there with Brandon.
He spoke first. “It seems I owe you an apology.” He nodded his head toward Mia and then back to me. “I admit I was jealous, but I want Mia to be happy and if you make her happy, I’m good with that.” He held out his hand and offered it to me. Shit, Marco was right; he was a good kid. If it was me, I probably would’ve punched his lights out. Mia sauntered over to us, probably thinking we were going to get into a fight.
“I’m sorry for my behaviour the other day, Mia, and the things I said about Zane were uncalled for. I hope the two of us can still be friends.”
“You will always be my friend, Brandon,” Mia said, hugging him.
Max and Marco were watching me to see if I’d rip the poor guy to shreds. I didn’t, of course. There was no need to; Mia was mine. I fucking love her. No man or woman alive will take her away from me. I’ll make sure of that. I slipped my arms around her waist and caressed the curve of her arse, just in case he still didn’t understand.
“I think we need to celebrate, don’t you think? I’ll go grab us a bottle of that vintage Brunetti wine in the cellar. I think my day is getting better by the minute,” Mia announced.
“Great idea, angel. I’ll come with you. It’s pretty dark in there, remember? I don’t need you falling over or getting hurt.”
“What the fuck; where are you going, Zane? It’s your turn, dickhead,” Marco yelled at me from the other side of the pool table. “Or are you such a sore loser you need to run away when the going gets tough?”
‘I’ll take Zane’s shot, Brunetti,” Milan said from where she was sitting with Jada and Winter. “Then we will see who is a sore loser.”
“Are you fucking joking me?” Marco looked like he was about to eat the cue stick. The veins in his neck were about to pop; he was so angry. “Come on, Zane; Mia will be fine on her own to go get the wine. It’s not like it’s at the winery or anything.”
“Milan, give it a rest. Marco has had a lot to deal with today. He’s flown up from Melbourne to be here with his family; the least you can do is be respectful with what he has been through today,” Jada scolded her.
Milan pouted and went back to sit down with Winter on the couch, but not before she sent a look of pure evil Marco’s way.
“I’ll escort Mia down to the cellar,” Brandon offered. Holding up his hands in defence, he continued, “I promise I won’t try anything on her. I’ll just wait outside the doors.”
“You better not try anything,” I cautioned Brandon.
Mia laughed as she linked her arms with Brandon and headed off toward the wine cellar.
***
MIA
I was so busy laughing that I almost missed the first step for the cellar. It was an old traditional one, which was just off the kitchen. Brandon was following close behind me.
“So, why do you need to get this wine? What are we celebrating?” he asked.
“Well, I’m not sure if you know, but I have another brother. He is younger than Max and Marco. He’s in the military. We found out he was missing in action and today we got the most awesome news–-he was found, along with all his team. He...he...ah...is injured and there is a possibility he may not make it. But you don’t know my brother; if anyone can survive this, it’s Miccah.”